Mailing-envelop.



W. H. HART, JII.

MAILING ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. [4, ms.

1 166,905, Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

WITNESSES J INVENTOR ATTORNEYS TATE PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HART, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be. it known that I, WILLIAM HART, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, Stateof Ienns vlvania,-have invented a new and useful Mailing-llnvelop, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a mailing envelop or package which is composed of a body, a closing flap, a tongue on said flap, and a lip-member on said tongue, the rear wall of said body having thereon a cross bar, the front and rear walls of, said body being of differential lengths, sothat when thelower portion of said tongue has been applied to said cross bar, and said lip member passed below said cross bar, said member may spring back with said flap, causing said lip member to overlap said cross bar and interlock therewith, thus closing the envelop and permitting subsequent opening of the same to inspect thecontents thereof, without fracturing or injuring the lip member, tongue and flap.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, as long as they are included in the scope of the claim.

Figure 1 represents a rear elevation of an envelop embodying my invention, the same being in closed condition. Fi 2 represents a longitudinal section on the line 21-40, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation of a portion of the envelop in open condition. Fig. 4 represents a rear elevation of the envelop in open condition showing another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 represents a lmmitudinal section thereof on the line y i Fig. 4, but in closed condition. Fig. 6 represents a view of a member shown in Fig. 4 detached and on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 represents a rear view of another embodiment of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

'Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an envelopcomposed of a body 2 and a closing flap'3, thereon. Dependlng from said flap 3 is the'tongue 4, and in the back 5 are the transversely-extending parallel slits 6-6 which leaves between them on said back the cross bar 7. On said tongue near the lower terminal thereof is the hp 8 which is formed by cutting or punching out of the Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed April 14,

MAILING-anyt me.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916. 1915. Seria11to.2'1',354.

materialof said tongue the shape of said lip, leaving it, however, connected integrally with the latter at one end thereof somewhat as a hinge so that the lip is movable in its nature for a purpose 'to be hereinafter explained.

Itwill be seen that when merchandise or goods are placed in the envelop, the flap is closed and the tongue passed through the slits 66 to 'full extent and consequently under the cross bar. \Vhen the lip 8 is manipulated so as to be drawn outwardly then it is let go when it rides backwardly over the bottom edge of the cross bar and overlaps the latter, and so interlocks thetongue with said cross bar and holds the flap and consequently the envelop in closed condition.

Should a postal oilicial desire to examine the contents of the envelop the lip is manipulated so as to disengage it from the cross bar when the flap may be opened, the tongue then slipping freely through the slits and under the cross bar, the envelop being in no wise fractured or injured. Then the envelop may be closed again and the tongue inserted in osition and locked with the cross bar as be ore.

In order to revent the tongue from entering the ho y of the envelop or be obstructed by the walls of the cross bar I employ the piece 9 which is formed of suitable material and passed through the slits (36 and under the cross bar 7, and its ends passed through slits 10-10 additionally formed in the back 5 respectively above and below the slits 6-6, thus retaining the piece in position and forming a surface on which the end of the tongue 4 ma ride especially in introducing the latter into the slits 6, the edges of the slits then presenting no obstacles to the movement of the end of the tongue thereagainst, said end then being guided freely past said edges.

\Vhile I denominate the device as a mailing envelop it may be used for general busincss purposes as a package or folder to contain merchandise or goods, and carry or transmit the same in closed condition to its place of destination.

It will be noticed that the rear wall of the body is of less height than the front wall so that when the flap 3 is turned down 11 on said rear wall, and the tongue 4 inserte in the slit 6, said flag 3 may be pulled down to an extent limite by the cross bar 7, abutting the top of said rear wall after which said flap may spring back causing the lip 8 to overlap the back of the cross bar and so interlock therewith, while it is presented to view so that-it may be removed from the lower edge of the cross bar when the tongue is pulled down which is permitted by the increased length or height of the front wall of the body, whereby the top of said wall gives downwardly.

The flap turns on the the fold line 11 between as usual in envelo p's. I v

In Fig. 7 the lip 8 is shown on the back wall of the body of the envelop, it being adapted to be inserted through the opening 12 in the closing flap 3' and overlapping the wall of said opening, the same'as the lip of the other figures engage the cross bar 7 at the bottom thereof, thus interlocking the flap with the body, and permitting opening of the former without destroying the same by cutting throughthe fold line 11 or tearing s'aid'fiap. 1

Having thus described my invention what body by means of said body and flap I claim as new and desire ters Patent, is

In an envelop composed of a body, a closing flap, a tongue on the latter, the rear wall of said body having therein a plurality of slits forming a cross bar, and a lip on said tongue, the latter being adapted to pass through the upper slit behind said cross bar, and through the lower slit, and present said lip on the exterior of said cross bar and overlap the lower edge thereof on said exterior, the front wall of said body being of greater length than the rear wall of said body, whereby. said lip, after being passed fully through said cross bar, will spring back into engagement with the latter on the exterior thereof, and the top portion of said front wall may be turned downwardly over the top portion of said rear wall and overlap the same preparatory to the disengagement of said lip from said cross bar.

' WILLIAM H. HART, JR. I Vitnesses:

JOHN A. VVIEDERsHEIM, N. BUSSINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of fatents,

Washington, DJ 0.

to secure by Let- 

